| Senna surattensis | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Caesalpinioideae |
| Genus: | Senna |
| Species: | S. surattensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Senna surattensis | |
| Synonyms | |
Cassia fastigiataVahl | |
Senna surattensis, also calledglossy shower,scrambled egg tree,glossy shower,golden Senna,glaucous Cassia,sunshine tree andbushy Cassia, is aplantspecies of the legume family (Fabaceae) in the subfamilyCaesalpinioideae that is native tosoutheast Asia, and possiblynorthern andeastern Australia.[5][4][6]
S. surattensis is named afterSurat district, situated nearBombay, India.[7]
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It grows as a shrub or small tree to 11 m high. Stems are hairy, sometimes sparsely to nearly glabrous. Leaves are compound, alternate.Stipules are linear, 2-3 mm long.Petiole is 2-6.5 cm long, channeled, thinly hairy. Stalked glands haveleaflet pairs with 2-5 per leaf, solitary at lowest pair.[8]
Leaflets number at 8-20, which are opposite, pinnately compound, paripinnate, upper leaflets are largest. Petiolules are 1-2 mm long. Leaflet blades are egg-shaped, oblong to obovate, 2.5-10 cm in length, 0.8-3 cm in width, base is round-shaped orcuneate, at times lopsided. Margins are entire, apex is round-shaped or emarginate. The side veins are made up of 6-12 pairs. Leaflets andrachis are lightly hairy to hairless.[8] Older leaves may fall duringdrought or winter.[9]
The plant has been confused withSenna sulfurea andSenna siamea, except that this plant has many more smaller leaflets, smaller brachystylous flowers and shorter, short-stipitate pod.[7]
Inflorescences are axillary in upper axils, flowers in umbellateracemes that consist of 4-10 bisexual, slightly zygomorphic flowers.Pedicels are 1.5-3 cm long.Sepals are rough, elliptic, 3-8 mm long, glabrous or sparsely hairy, and green.Petals are oblong-elliptic, 10-24 (-30) mm long, hairless or just mildly hairy, yellow, with a distinct venation. Fertileanthers 5-6 mm long;carpel is solitary, long and arched,ovary is superior andstyle is curved. 10stamens are present andfilaments are 1-2 mm long. Fruit is a dry, flat pod, 8-15 cm long.[8] Flowers appear all year round.[9]
The origin of this species is still unclear. Antecedently, it was thought to be native to coastal north Australia andMalesia, but Symon (1966) stated that it was likely introduced there. Though Liogier and Martorell (2000) consider the species native to Australia.Agricultural Research Service (2014) lists the plant as native toLaos,Myanmar, thePhilippines,Thailand, andVietnam.[7]
The species is known to occur in several tropical and subtropical regions includingSoutheast Asia,Africa, and theWest Indies, where it has escaped into the wild, thereby naturalizing in these places. InSri Lanka, the species is commonly planted, except that it is not naturalized. Elsewhere, it is found on roadsides, pastures, and wastelands in the lower altitudes. In Southeast Asia, it thrives inteak forests and boggy soils, whereas in Hawaii it grow in volcanic zones and coastal forests.[7]
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Having a medium tolerance for drought (especially after being established), the plant grows in well-drained, moist,loamy andmarshy soils where it is planted in roadsides, parks, small gardens where it is used as ashade tree and ahedge plant. It can easily be toppled by heavy winds, therefore it needs many years to become established in ground. Hardy toUSDA zone 9, it prefers to be fertilized monthly.[9] Furthermore, the plant withstandssulphur dioxide pollution, thereby making it a commonly planted ornamental in populated regions like the Philippines andHong Kong. It is propagated by seed.[6]
It is noted to have been cultivated onSt. Vincent and theWindward Islands prior to 1826. It may have been included (as Cassia glauca Lam.) inGrisebach's flora on the British West Indies, where it was reported inJamaica,Saint Kitts,Antigua and St. Vincent, and also native toGuadeloupe (which is unlikely) and theEast Indies. It also may have been cultivated inTrinidad by 1870 and it was introduced as an ornamental plant inPuerto Rico just after 1826. In Hawaii, it was naturalized by 1871 and in Sri Lanka it was present there since 1824.[7]
In Southeast Asia, its juvenile leaves are cooked and eaten as a vegetable. In the Philippines, it is used in teak plantations as a shade tree and hedge plant. The roots have been used to treatgonorrhoea, its leaves fordysentery, and flowers as alaxative.[7]
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The plant is listed as an environmental weed and acultivation escape in the Global Compendium of Weeds, where it smothers pastures and has a history of perennial introductions outside of its endemic range. Its spread is mainly by human cultivation rather than byseed dispersal though. It is classified as an invasive species in various Asian and Pacific countries such asSingapore,Taiwan,French Polynesia, andMicronesia, includingHawaii.[7]
The plant produces seeds abundantly, with 20 seeds per pod. However, the plant's risk of introduction is moderate, since the seeds are heavy and unable todisperse by the wind (the pods generally stay on the plant, so the seeds do not fall andgerminate). Moreover, dispersal by animals is unlikely because the pods do not havejuice vesicles to draw them in.[7]
Catopsilia scylla andCatopsilia pomona consume the leaves.Eurema blanda only eats the young leaves, andOecophylla smaragdina will frequently build nests on the plant.[7]
